4. Catherine Tramell

TriStar Pictures

Basic Instinct

Basic Instinct in not a great film, but we would be remiss not to highlight the character that is solely responsible for making Sharon Stone a movie star. In the film, Stone plays Catherine Tramell, a mystery writer under investigation for murder by Michael Douglas’ detective character. Apart from the bisexuality and the hot sex scenes, there’s very little about Basic Instinct that’s remarkable. The reason we chose Tramell over all the other femmes fatales Stone has played — and that Douglas’ characters have dated — is because of the classic interrogation scene. It’s not just memorable for Stone’s absent underwear, but it shows Tramell using all of her sexual wiles to enchant and beleaguer Douglas and the other interrogators. It’s classic femme fatale.